Why did Benitez and SRL age so quickly?

Cocaine

 

I can see why Benitez did. His defense was built on reflexes and exact reflexes, so if he slips a little guy start to hit him. When he moved up to middleweight I think he picked wrong guys to fight. Had he avoided Hamsho then he could have done better. Just the wrong style with a fight moving up, and then he lost his confidence and it all went downhill after that. But at 154 against Hearns and Duran he was great. Some of his best fighting. Leonard? I think he burned out. He put his all emotionally into the Benitez,Duran and Hearns fights, and he needed to take years off and pick and choose after that. Same with Hagler after Hearns. I don't think Hagler had the motivation to fight much after he beat Hearns. I think he put his all physically and mentally into that fight, and after that with Mugabi and Leonard he was not the same. I could be wrong, but I could tell Hagler felt he had to have the fight of his life against Hearns and he did and nothing could get him as up as that again.

 

the fast and furious fists of Terry Norris along with untouchable defense

cant hit what aint there

 

This is basically the long and short of it, Leonard took years off the sport, and wasted the prime years of his career. It would be fairly reasonable to suggest that had he stayed in the game during that time he would have had an even better resume.

Benitez peaked 6 or 7 years earlier than the average fighter, its not unusual for him to be shot at only 26, all things considered. Turning pro at age 15 and fighting the best fighters in 3 weight division's isn't going to do your longevity any good anyways.

Obviously Leonards, and Benitez's lifestyles outside of the ring didn't help their careers none either.

 

Leonard was looking bad against Lalonde and Tommy Hearns beat him up. His legs were flat footed in those fights.

 

Drugs, drugs, drugs.

I've seen drugs take everything from all sorts of world class athletes. No doubt in my mind a hefty addiction to nose candy would shorten the prime. That **** is nasty.

 

I am not convinced that Leonard took so many drugs that his skills went away. He did not fight the whole decade, and most guys cannot comeback after 5 years and beat the middleweight champion like Hagler and still be sharp. It is great he beat Hagler but I am convinced now that even Michael Olajide or Barkley in 1987 or 1988 could give Ray a good fight. He studied Hagler and I think he beat him on studying him from behind the HBO microphone. The Duran fight and how Hagler fought when he is slowed down, this added to how bad and unmotivated Hagler looked for Mugabi after a year of activity told Leonard a diminished unactive Hagler who is slowed down he can beat, as Duran told him he could. Even for Hagler, Leonard was hit clean enough, and after Marvin he fought Lalonde and Hearns and Duran. Hearns and Duran he knew but had he not known how to fight them and been used to them, he might have lost. I always had the feeling that Leonard knew past 1982 he was not motivated to fight the whole decade like Duran and Hearns did and Hagler almost did. I do put him high on the ATG list because of his great wins over great fighters. With Norris? I honestly think it was a kamikaze kind of decision. He knew he would either win big or lose big, and if he lost he wanted a good excuse to retire. The Camacho fight many years later I don't understand. By that point he was 15 years past his prime. The Camacho fight just added to the Norris fight how Ray should have stayed retired.

 

Why did Norris chin always let him down ?? Not even prime version, why ??? Why can`t we talk more about Keith Mullings? Who destroyed Terrible ??

 

Aaron Pryor as well

 

Boxers age at diffrent rates. Some guys start to fade before 30, and others seem like they can fight forever.
Most guys who seem like they can fight forever are usually techinicians. I wouldn't call Leonard or Benitez techinicians. They were more athletes than anything else.

 

Kids are spoiled nowadays.
In the 80's,the lower weight classes' better fighters were usually over the hill at 28.

 

Hamsho and Moore were not better than Benitez. Sacrilege!

Anyhoo, Gregorio Benitez had Wilfredo fighting in the park in NYC for nickles by the time he was five. champ at 17. Brain damaged by 21 Triple champ by 23. Totally shot by 25. Thats still twenty years of fighting at least.

 

i dont see why not. Hamsho dominated him. Moore dominated him

IMO, Wilfred was washed up going into the Hilton fight. he looked like a punching bag. but honestly, there was nothing wrong with him going into the fights with Hamsho or Moore

furthermore, it looks ridiculous making comments saying it is sacrilage to say his conquorers were better fighters. Benitez was nothing more than a cutey with not much heart. when he couldnt win, he simply stood by and watched the other guy take his title (SRL, Hearns) or lost

watch both the SRL & Hearns fights. He did nothing to prevent either man from taking his title. he didnt pressure them; he simply traded a few meek jabs

and trading jabs doesnt get the job done

and anyone who says that either Benitez or SRL is in the same league as Roy Jones should have his head examined

Neither do I accept the latest excuse about SRL having a coke addiction "coke",, "drugs. drugs. drugs."

this is a rumour that was blown out of proportion, a myth

Sugar's problems were caused by fast fists, not fast living

I suggest watching the uno mas fight where he fared quite well (as he always does against one dimensional plodders)


change the opponents style up on him and watch him have fits. that's what REALLY happened

c'mon ESBers, have the courage to admit it to yourself and among yourselves. we know Sugar can win those big fights but he can never ever beat a total package like Norris.

u know. u seen it in your dreams. so have I

 

Lets talk about the TRUE champ, not phony alphabet, chinny Norris. i mean the man who beat THE man... Keith Mullings ! Always overlooked when looking at ATG`s Come on Rooster, lets hear it for the true champ !!!

 

Beintez, early start to his career ,burned out early. And way before the Hilton fight ! SRL, detached retina leads to early retirement, then has drug and alcohol issues to boot. Never truly the same after his first retirement. Inactivity and losing that edge in speed and reflexes as well.